"Your Majesty! What wrong have I done?! Why will you not allow me to lead the campaign?"
Zhang Bu and Puyang Xing knelt before Sun Xiu. Both looked somewhat haggard, especially Puyang Xing, whose eyes were brimming with tears.
Sun Xiu's edict had thrown the two into a flurry. They felt betrayed.
They had hurried to the Imperial Palace to seek an audience with Sun Xiu, hoping he would give them an explanation.
They could not understand why they were suddenly being targeted when they had devoted themselves wholeheartedly to serving the emperor.
Puyang Xing was taking it relatively well. Ever since rebellions had broken out across the realm, he had prepared himself. He knew why the emperor wanted to dismiss him: everyone at court had plenty of complaints about him.
Puyang Xing had long expected the emperor to call him to account and had prepared himself, so he had breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the edict.
He was not dissatisfied. Merely being dismissed was already a very good outcome, and being told to reflect on his mistakes meant he might still be promoted again. Even so, he had to come.
After all, it was still very necessary to weep before the emperor and express his loyalty and grievances.
Zhang Bu, however, clearly could not accept it.
When Sun 𬘭 held you in his grasp, I was the one who risked death to rescue you. Now that we have only just settled matters within the realm, how could you already begin to distrust me?
With Guanqiu Jian assembling an army and pointing his sword at Jianye, Zhang Bu considered this a fine opportunity to win distinction.
On land, Zhang Bu might have felt afraid, but a battle on the water? Did the Wei people still remember the Red